Chapter 22: Politics and Pride
(Scarlett's POV)
I woke up in a strange den, the unfamiliar scents of Shadow Valley's neutral territory permeating through the thin air. My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin, uneasy in this place. The foreign energy clung to me like a second skin, and even after several breaths, it refused to shake loose.
My mind felt foggy as I tried to orient myself. It took a moment before I remembered—I'd deliberately chosen this place to avoid staying with Steven. Yet his presence was impossible to escape.
Through our mate bond, I could sense him—not close enough to see but near enough that his energy filled the space like a dark shadow. His dominance was always the same, suffocatingly relentless and cold.
I pushed out of bed, ignoring the pull in my ches
